


Road Rage

by springburn



Series: The Thick of It mini-fics [35]
Category: The Thick of It (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Car Accidents, Children of Characters, F/M, Gen, Loving Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 11:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5088680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springburn/pseuds/springburn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malcolm is on his way home from a meeting, a news bulletin comes on tv......</p>
            </blockquote>





	Road Rage

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt from Petersgal ......thank you !
> 
> "i have another one..cant help myself..."glenn comes round for a cup of tea with sam,when news comes on the tv about an accident,malcolm is on his way home and they dont know where he is!!!"..bye for now xx"
> 
> So I'm returning to married family man Malcolm AU for this one......
> 
> So here's a little tale for Tucker Tuesday.......

ROAD RAGE. 

"Right! You three, I've warned you! I told you if you can't play nicely then you can't play at all.  
Grace! Robbie! Bedrooms.....now! Jamie......clear up those bits of Lego, then into the kitchen....you can sit up at the work top and do your spellings!"  
Cries of indignation echoed from her errant brood.  
"No arguments! You've been squabbling for the last half an hour. And I'm sick of it! Off you go....upstairs, before I lose my temper completely. Jamie.....don't even think of answering back.....do as you are told!"  
The doorbell chimed at that moment.  
"That'll be Uncle Glenn! You two....I won't tell you again.....no, I'm not relenting. Upstairs and into your bedrooms. Until you can behave and play together without fighting." 

"Hi Glenn. Come through!"  
"How are we all......all the little Tuckers?"  
"Being an absolute pain.....and about to be put into the stocks and be pelted with eggs and rotten fruit, for their misdemeanours!"  
Glenn laughed and seated himself next to Jamie at the kitchen counter.  
"Hello young man! Spellings I see!"  
"Yeah......gotta learn them, got a test on Wednesday. I hate tests! They suck!"  
"Jamie, take your books into the living room, you can use the table in there, so I can talk to Glenn in peace."  
The youngster hopped down from the bar stool with a huff, and gathered his work together.  
"A bit of his Dad coming out there!" Glenn remarked with a smile.  
Sam chuckled.  
"Tell me about it.....it's like a miniature Malcolm.....and he's as bright as a button too!" 

"Speaking of the Lord and Master.....where is he?"  
"According to the text I had half an hour ago, he's on his way home from St.Albans."  
"St. Albans?"  
"Yeah......meeting with a small publishing firm......they want to print a German version of the latest book, their head office is in Hamburg."  
"Wow! Global, then! Amazing!"  
"I know!! Listen....Glenn, he'll be home in an hour or so.....stay for dinner?"  
"Are you sure? Don't want to be a bother."  
"Don't be daft! I cook enough to feed the five thousand.....there's plenty!"  
"If you can stand feeding time at the zoo!"  
"I'd love that Sam.....thank you!" 

She flicked on the early evening news and she pottered about the kitchen, preparing vegetables, chopping meat and chatting happily to Glenn, as she worked.  
"I feel like I should be helping."  
"No need, you sit and enjoy your coffee, there's nothing for you to do.....it'll be in the oven in no time. Hope you like lamb."  
"Love it......thank you Sam!" 

_"Reports are reaching the news room of a multi-car pile up on the M25._  
_It is estimated to involve over forty cars on the east bound carriageway, the road is closed in both directions and air ambulance and constabularies from two counties are attending the scene. There are reports of several fatalities and police are, as yet, releasing no details. Although there is speculation that the accident is related to a road rage incident. There will be further bulletins during the duration of the programme and we are hoping to speak to our correspondent at the scene._  
_In other news......."_

Sam froze, in mid sentence, staring at the screen.  
It showed a helicopter flying above the road, filming the carnage below.  
"Glenn.......oh my god.......Malcolm is on his way home.......he could be caught up in the middle of all that....."  
"I'm sure he's fine! Just ring him Sam."  
"Pass me my mobile would you, it's behind you."  
She held the phone and dialled, listening as it went to voicemail.  
"He's not answering......"  
"Well maybe he can't, not if he's driving."  
"No Glenn, he has a hands-free, he has it plugged in all the time, when he's on the road."  
"Shit! Glenn what do I do?"  
She tried Malcolm's number a second time, but to no avail.  
"Let's not panic just yet.....when did he text you to say he was leaving?"  
"Just over half an hour ago.....he'll be right there.....right where it's happened. God....I don't know what to do.....should I ring the help line number they give you......it's on the bottom of the screen."  
Sam tried Malcolm's mobile several more times. The stony silence on the other end made her feel sick.  
Eventually Glenn phoned the help number for her, as she began to enter a state of numb detachment.  
"Okay.......thank you officer. Yes......his registration and make of vehicle......"  
He glanced up at Sam, questioningly......  
Grabbing paper and pen she scribbled rapidly.  
".......yes, I have it here. Yes, I'm with his wife, at home......I'll give you the address and contact number. Thank you very much......goodbye."  
Sam pounced on him, as he hung up, anxious, speaking rapidly.  
"What did they say? Do they know anything? Will they ring us back? What's happening?"  
"Sam......calm down. There is little they can tell us, they are sifting through wreckage, some vehicles are unrecognisable. There are some casualties that have been air lifted to hospital, there are walking wounded and there are some just caught up in the maelstrom, that are sitting on the side of the carriageway waiting for help, or to be interviewed.....they're not injured at all, but are just in the thick of it all, and can't get anywhere. It could be hours till we know anything for certain."  
Sam sat down heavily, all thoughts of eating dinner, gone out of the window.  
Jamie wandered in.  
"Mum....what's going on? Daddy's alright isn't he? I heard you talking."  
"We're not sure son, there's been a really big accident, and we are trying to find out where Daddy is......he could be anywhere......or no where......we haven't a clue right now."  
Sam's face was pale and drawn.  
Trying desperately not to think of anything that could be bad......no.....Malcolm was okay, he'd be fine, he was not caught up in it, he'd turned off the road, he was absolutely fine.  
Glenn switched on the radio, so that they would hear regular updates to the bulletins.  
When 10 fatalities in a coach party were announced, Sam almost lost it.  
Glenn pulled her into a hug.  
"Sam.....don't! Malcolm will be okay, I'm sure of it. You know Malcolm! ......luck of the three blind goblins!"  
"Why isn't he answering his phone? That's what I don't understand......"  
"Maybe he has no signal......it could be as simple as that!" 

It was over an hour and a half later, that Sam, seated on the sofa, with Jamie, Robbie and Grace, all cuddled up beside her, Glenn opposite, as they sat.......waiting.  
Waiting.  
Then, the sound of a car pulling up outside.  
Sam had a horrible vision of it being the police.  
Then she heard a key in the door. 

It was Malcolm. 

The children scrambled down and dashed down the hallway.  
"DADDY. DADDY! Mummy, Daddy is home!!"  
They gathered around his legs in an excited little gaggle, all chattering at once.  
Sam came to the doorway, tears in her eyes, lip trembling.  
"We thought you were deaded Daddy......" Grace piped up.  
Sam rushed forward, hanging on his neck.  
"Oh God.....Malcolm......where have you been? I've been so worried."  
"Oh, Darl, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. What a horrendous fucking journey!"  
"We thought you were in the accident."  
"I nearly was.....the cars in front of me were, but we were at the back so they cleared the road for us as far as a slip road, and I had to find my way through the back ways.....fucking nightmare......fucking sat nav, that posh bitch voice......fucking hell, she led me round the fucking houses.....Jesus. It's taken me hours to get back to a road I recognised!"  
"But I was calling you......why didn't you answer your phone.......?"  
"Because......because I went to the fucking toilet in the service station, after I texted you, and it was in my back pocket, and it fell out and went down the bloody pan......and it's totally fucked. Done, all she wrote......sodding new iPhone 6 aswell........what a fucking shit day!"  
"Oh Malcolm, thank god you're alright......I don't care about the phone.....I'm just SO glad to see you safe and sound."  
"Hello Glenn! Didn't see you there."  
Malcolm shook the hand of his friend.....his children still capering around him, his wife with her arms wrapped around his neck.  
Malcolm Tucker, the married, family man......Glenn smiled to see it.  
So loved, so adored by his little brood, it was almost impossible to believe.  
"'Spose there's no dinner is there? I'm bloody starving!"  
"I made lamb cassoulet.......I turned the oven down really low......with luck it'll still be edible."  
"Thank fuck for that!" He turned to his offspring......and cried,  
"Kids.....!! Come on......help mummy lay the table......get some glasses out, us grown ups are opening a bottle of wine......yes.....on a school night! We have no shame! And we could all do with it."  
Soon they were all gathered around the family table, Glenn as much one of their number as any blood relative.  
He beamed to see them all, so happy.  
The laughter and chattering of his children, he and Sam stealing a passionate kiss.  
Plates of delicious steaming food in front of them, the children raising their juice glasses along with the adults wine, clinking and making a toast.  
"To St. Albans.....and may I never have to go there again!!"


End file.
